Ogier details miraculous escape in Rally Poland as he prepares for WRC return in Latvia

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Ogier details miraculous escape in Rally Poland as he prepares for WRC return in Latvia

Festus Chuma 18:00 - 14.07.2024

The Frenchman was involved in a severe crash during Rally Poland recon but is now set to return in Latvia.

Eight-time World Rally Championship (WRC) winner Sebastien Ogier is set to make a thrilling return to the rally circuit in Latvia following a severe crash during a reconnaissance mission in Poland last month.

The crash had initially cast doubts on his immediate racing future, but recent developments have marked a significant turnaround.

Ogier and his co-driver, Vincent Landais, were involved in a head-on collision with a road car while preparing pacenotes for Rally Poland.

The accident led to Ogier spending a night in the hospital and being discharged with a neck brace.

Despite the setback, the French duo escaped serious injury and their swift recovery has been a source of relief for fans and the rally community alike.

Reflecting on the incident, Ogier shared, "It was quite unfortunate what happened during our preparations in Poland.

Now after some rest, and some good help from my medical team, I could recover pretty quickly and I’m looking forward to being back in a rally car in Latvia.

The challenge of a new rally is generally something I like and that’s one of the reasons we added this event to our programme."

Following his crash, Ogier was forced to withdraw from the Polish rally, with his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 seat temporarily filled by two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera, who clinched victory at the event.

However, Ogier’s resilience shone through as he made an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed driving a Sebastien Ogier edition GR Yaris road car shortly after his return from the hospital.

Toyota has confirmed that both Ogier and Landais have been declared fit to compete, bringing a boost to the team as they prepare for the upcoming round in Latvia.

This event marks the WRC's first visit to the country and is part of Ogier's selective campaign this season, highlighting significant races.

Toyota will field a robust four-car lineup in Latvia, featuring full-time drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, alongside Rovanpera.

The competition will be fierce with a total of ten Rally1 cars set to participate.

Hyundai's lineup includes championship leader Thierry Neuville, Ott Tanak, and Esapekka Lappi, while M-Sport will field three Ford Pumas for Adrien Fourmaux, Gregoire Munster, and Latvian hero Martins Sesks.

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